Planning the flowers for your wedding day should be one of the fun parts of the wedding process and it’s our honour to assist you along the way. If you have a ‘Q’ that we didn’t ‘A’, please send us an e-mail and we will get back to you with an answer ASAP!

1• WE ARE PLANNING A WEDDING FROM ABROAD. PLEASE HELP ME!

Rest assured that you will get all the help you need. The most of our clients are organising their big day from abroad. We try to make the whole process as easy as possible for you, by being available for any query you may have, sending you comprehensive quotes and design proposals, visual ideas. To feel more comfortable and in order to get to know who you are working with, we can also chat on the phone or via Skype; anything that will take the stress off you!

2 • HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING AS FLORAL DESIGNER

I have been working in the floral trade since 1998 and officially arranging flowers for weddings since 2002. Specializing with destination wedding in Italy and Europe since 2012 .

3 • DO YOU TRAVEL?

Yes, we most certainly do and we love it! We travel to pretty much anywhere in Italy and Europe. The travel fee and accommodation for us and our crew (if needed) will be included in the quote, as a separate voice, in order to make you to have everything clear. We’ve been in Sicily, Sardinia, Montecarlo (France) just to name some of our favorite destinations . The price usually depends on the distance, amount of hours/days spent on site, the size of the whole wedding and design. Our floral designer crew always follow us and , in order to make logistic easier and lower costs, we usually contact local expert floral designers and professionals that are part of our network of highly qualified freelances.

4 • WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO START PLANNING MY WEDDING DECORATIONS?

Flowers are a significant important feature of your wedding day. They set the mood and tone for the event and will be remembered for years to come. A good rule of thumb is to contact your florist at least three months in advance. However, if your wedding is going to be an exceptionally elaborate event, take place during peak wedding season or fall on a holiday, then six months to a year is not too soon to contact your florist.

In general, we recommend that you begin planning at least 6 before a wedding or any event requiring multiple flower arrangements. This will allow us to begin looking for any specialty items you might need. It’s very important to start designing florals and decors after confirmation of the venue where the event will take place, to allow us to design a event/wedding concept totally in haromny with venue and surroundings.

5 • HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD I CONTACT YOU, AS FLORAL DESIGNER?

It’s never too early to get organized. As a boutique designer, we limit the number of events and weddings we do each season so that we can offer our clients the highest level of service and attention, and therefore our calendar books up quite quickly. Contact usnow to speak about your event and check our availability for your wedding flowers or event decoration.

6 • SHOULD I FILL THE CONTACT FORM OR MAY I SCHEDULE A CALL?

As each wedding is a unique event, it is important that each floral design reflects your personality, and exactly what you envisioned for your day. You may fill the Contact form or simple email us to schedule a free consultation by Skype. This is our first step to learn somethingabout you. Then, after our first contact, we’ll send you a detailed questionnaire to get more informations as possible about you and your wedding vision, in order to start creating together.

7 • WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT AT MY WEDDING FLOWER CONSULTATION?

The design consultation is where we get to know you and work together on the look of your wedding. Feel free to email photos, magazine clippings, Pinterest walls or anything that inspires you . After our first contact, we’ll send you a detailed Questionnaire in order to collect quickly many informations about your wedding vision, and to allow both of us to be ready for our consultation.

Any items you want incorporated into the decor, such as a special memento, are always good to be mentioned too. Based on your likes and dislikes, we will create a distinctive proposal specifically designed only for you. Every bride and groom is unique, so is Your wedding! Get a look at our Details gallery, just to get the feeling and inspirations to deposit in your idea bank.

We want to establish a rapport with you based on a shared vision of what your wedding should look like. This will enable us to trust each other in making the right choices to make your wedding beautiful. In the design consultation, we will discuss your wish list, design and the budget to achieve this vision. Our philosophy is that we can work with any budget. Of course this may mean guiding you to prioritizing your needs and wants to stay within your comfort range and designing within those guidelines.

We might set up a Skype call in order to built our relationship and know each other, or we can do it by emails. The way is more comfortable for you.

8 • WHAT DOES YOUR SERVICE INCLUDE & EXCLUDE

Dario Benvenuti Florals & Weddings, as event/wedding floral designer, shines when designing the aesthetics of your wedding. This is where the “WOW” factor comes in. We work with you to develop your vision and bring it to fruition. Conceptualization, styling, design – colours, décor, candle lighting are key elements handled by us in order to make your dream wedding come true. We have the ability to create things from scratch according to your wishes. Bouquets, centrepieces, photo backdrops, draperies, custom installation , ceremony, floor plans, decor, candle lighting and consultations about linen, ambient lighting, special installations; all are details that make up the look and vibe of your wedding and we help you to perfect them.

Some things, like lighting, is a very specialized service, which in most cases needs a qualified electrician/expert. The same goes for hanging of any installations from the roof of your venue. This normally requires a specialist rigging company, to assure stability and the safety of all your guests.

Our aim is to bring the pretty to every occasion and would be thrilled to partner with your planner to make it happen.

9 • DO YOU HAVE WEDDING PACKAGES

We do not have specific wedding packages, as we strongly believe in tailoring each and every one of our weddings to the couples’ individual needs. Some brides request only their bridal bouquet, and little flowers for the reception tables, while others have bouquets for multiple bridal attendants and dozens of reception centrepieces and decorations.

Every single request is equally important to us and we take pride in making your wishes come true, whether simple or well challenging!

10 • HOW ARE WEDDING FLOWER COSTS CALCULATED? Why do not have a pircelist of costs?

Wedding flower costs are based on a number of factors. Many people think that seasonality is the main factor. Actually, the driving force is usually the ratio of blooms to foliage and the size of arrangements. At Dario Benvenuti Florals & Weddings we use the highest flowers purchased for your wedding only, and a high stem count to present a lush and full finish from every breathtaking angle. In addition, the size of each arrangement or bouquet must be considered as larger displays require more blooms, more time to create and can complicate logistics. Most people don’t know that wholesale flowers are supplied through auction less than a week before your event, and therefore the price Dario Benvenuti Florals is charged is not guaranteed in advance.

There are many other variables that affect the final quote, for example the type of flowers you prefer, if they are locally available at the time, or if they should be imported, exchange rate, the size and height of the arrangements, the overall volume, the colour, how close your wedding day is to (flower) holidays such as Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Christmas, or New Year. The cost and availability of each stem does vary according to the time of year. For example, lilacs in August will cost more than lilacs in May, and it’s very hard to find peonies in winter.

You should also consider the hire of vases, urns, arches, candles and other props when thinking about your flower budget. Other costs like labour and consumable supplies – such as wire, ribbon, technical items and oasis foam must also be accounted more.

Dario Benvenuti Florals & Wedding Design will carefully build a quote for your wedding flower costs with all these things in mind. Contact us now to speak about your event and check our availability.

11 • HOW MUCH DO MY WEDDING FLOWERS COST?

The ‘average’ couple should plan to spend about 10 – 20% of their overall wedding budget on flowers. That being said, we approach each event separately as each client has different needs and wants. We need to account the season and bloom availability, the size of the wedding, the guests’ count, the complexity of the designs you will go for, as well as how long it will take create our magic.We’ve had many weddings where the percentage was much higher or much lower, it all depends on how much impact you’d like your floral decor to have, or how important flowers are to you.

Generally, the minimum budget required is of €3,500 for a wedding with 30-50 guests. Anyway, being that we like to treat every wedding as unique, prices supplied in the first proposal are therefore just estimates or rough guides, so that you can get an idea of what flowers and the services around it, normally cost. Please e-mail us if you want to know more.

12 • WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE BUDGET YOU WISH TO SPEND ON YOUR WEDDING DECORATION?

Be honest about your budget on the initial consultation so that the floral designer knows what to recommend.

By taking your budget into consideration from the very beginning of the planning process, we can give you the best advise on how to place the flowers for maximum effect and what types of flowers will be the best value to achieve your desired look.

Besides, it will help us to more accurately reflect your dreams and personality while suggesting ways to make your money work for you. It will also save you a lot of heartache, as it is not enjoyable to make big plans and then have to alter them because you can’t afford them.

Contact us for any doubt or question you might have . We would be very glad to help you !

13 • WHAT STYLE YOU WORK WITH?

We are known for our natural- inspired design with a love of magic , a touch of sophistication and an eye for the unique. We think flowers are inherently beautiful and take pride in preserving their natural form, color and texture. We love organic, natural botanical look to adapt to any theme you might like: from rustic, vintage, to classy, romantic, or elegant and charming; whatever style and theme you wish for your special day, we can make it happen, adding that touch of fascination.

We love to use precious decorative items, like true antiquities, italian handcrafted potteries, exclusive handmade candelabra, and if you are looking for something special, we would love to find it for you, or invent and create unique installations. With the experience we have, we can help you design the perfect wedding decor to suit the style of your wedding and your personality!

Contact us , so we can discuss your ideas! We would be honored to be part of the creation of your Big Day

14 • OK, SO I LIKE YOUR STYLE AND ATTITUDE WOULD LIKE TO GET A QUOTE FOR MY WEDDING FROM YOU. HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT?

1. Please e-mail us with your requested date. I’ll send you a wedding questionnaire to complete, which I use to get a better idea of what you have imagined for your big day.

2. The next step is to make an appointment with us for an initial free consultation , where we get to know you a bit better and where we discuss your likes and dislikes in more detail. This meeting is to organize all your ideas, work though your questionnaire in detail and come up with a clear theme and feel for your wedding day.

3. After our initial consultation, we will then quote you according to what we have discussed and your requirements as set out in the questionnaire. after that , we require a deposit to book our services and reserve the date.

15 • I SAW THIS AMAZING ARRANGEMENT /CONCEPT IN A PHOTO BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING SIMILAR IN YOUR WEBSITE. CAN YOU STILL MAKE IT

Absolutely. Life’s too short to do the same thing every time – we love a challenge, and love when client’s throw unique ideas our way. Whether it’s a custom metal ceremony arch, a 10 foot flower wall, or 50 handmade burlap lanterns, count us in!

16 • I HAD DIFFERENT QUOTES AND SOME ARE REALLY CHEAP FOR THE SAME ITEMS. How's that possible?

Everyone thinks weddings are a licence to print money, especially when it comes to flowers. Not true. They cost more than an everyday bouquet because of the extra work and extra care the florist has to take. Because if your wedding flowers go wrong there is no second chance, they can’t deliver a new bouquet the next day because there isn’t a next day!!

Which means they need to make sure that not only have they got enough flowers but some spares in case Mother Nature plays nasty tricks and kills any off between arriving at the shop and being delivered to you.

They’ll also probably have had to pay a premium price for the flowers, especially if you’ve chosen a specific variety or colour; at the height of the wedding season the price of white roses can double and triple on some days, yet, chances are, your florist had to quote your price anything up to six months earlier.

Then there is the extra labour involved in a wedding. All that cutting and conditioning has to be done in the last two days which often means overtime plus extra deliveries to not just get it there on time but cleared as well

Being that said, a professional florist will quote what is needed to make a fair living and do a brilliant job.

So if you find someone willing to undercut other quotes dramatically we would suggest you be very careful before committing. You might go into bad experiences

16 • CAN YOU GUARANTEE THAT THE FLOWERS THAT I WANT OR THE FLOWERS THAT YOU SUGGESTED ON MY QUOTE (THAT ARE SUPPOSEDLY IN SEASON) WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR MY WEDDING DAY?

As fresh flowers are a living product, there are occasions that a particular flower may not be available. Some flowers you see on overseas blogs and on Pinterest are not commercially available in Holland and Europe in general. (we know, we hate it too and it creates endless frustrations for all florists in Europe) Some flowers on the other hand might only be available in someone’s garden (like jasmine, or magnolias for instance). We will however do our utmost best to source and supply you with the flowers of your choice, (if they are in season of course), but we cannot be held responsible for not finding flowers that are not commercially available, wholesale agents who cannot source your choice of flowers, bad weather that negatively affect the quality or harvesting of flowers, farmers who do not deliver, or for any unforeseen circumstances that hinder us from acquiring your choice of flowers.

17 • DO YOU DO MOCK-UPS?

We reserve mock-up’s for event packages of €7,000 or more, as they typically require more detailed construction and coordination with additional design details and are charged at full retail value. Generally , it is very difficult to do a mock-up for a wedding only taking place in a few weeks or months, as the availability of flowers and greenery at the time of the wedding might not be the same as at the time of the mock-up. We have to work with what Mother Nature offers us , and subsequently what is available on the flower market at the time of the mock -up. So we’d rather work according to a colour scheme and design style, then having to replicate a previous arrangement with exact flowers and stem counts.

We’d much rather you choose us as your floral designer, because you have looked through our website, admire the quality and style of our work, than to restrict and hold us to a mock-up. Rather spend the money you would have spent on a mock-up to add more flowers to key areas of your wedding day.

18 • I WANT TO USE MOSTLY GREENERY OR FORAGED ITEMS FOR MY WEDDING. Does this help lowering the budget?

Foraged greenery, flowers, pods and berries give an interesting look and amazing textures to your floral arrangements that you can’t buy commercially, but the misconception is that it should be for free. Our feeling is that you are actually paying for the florist’s knowledge of where to pick, which greenery will last and not wilt in your arrangements, the time it has taken to find those specific trees, shrubs or flowers, doing water tests, travel fees, drive time, getting up at insane times of the morning to go and forage, prepare and hydrate before you can start arranging. So to make a long story short; no, unfortunately foraged items are not for free and prices will unfortunately not be lower if we use (only) foraged items.

19 • WHO WILL SET UP THE FLOWERS ON MY WEDDING DAY?

Dario Benvenuti Florals & Weddings has an experienced team who designs and uses only the freshest, best quality flowers, especially ordered locally or from abroad for you, to create your arrangements. Those experienced professionals ensure all the floral arrangements for your wedding are perfectly prepared for your arrival on your special day. We have the right tools and experience to create, build and set-up the decor you wish to have on your wedding day. Overseeing and directing all aspects of the decoration plan, as well as production and design, installation and completion is our responsibility. Any possible alterations that may be required, due to changing weather conditions for example, our team is ready at all times to carry them out ensuring your special day is as perfect as it should be.

20 • ARE YOU WILLING TO TRAVEL FOR AN ON-SITE CONSULTATION?

Absolutely! Consultations on site will however incur travel & labor fees. The fees will be included in the final budget if you will book our service.

Site inspection after paying your booking fee will be free of charge.

21 • I AM KEEN TO COLLABORATE ON A STYLED SHOOT WITH YOU. WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW BEFORE CONTACTING YOU?

We absolutely love styled shoots and believe collaboration is much needed in our wedding industry! We see it as one of our marketing tool. We initiate one or two shoots per year, which we fund ourselves. However, flowers are expensive and becoming more so each year. Just to give you an idea – most flower prices have increased with about 30% from the 2015 to 2016 season! Flowers are perishable products, which we cannot re-sell or re-use after a shoot. We are floral designer specialized in weddings and events, and don’t have a flower shop. The average cost of flowers for a styled shoot ranges between €800 – €10,000 and that excludes all our traveling fees and time spent to plan, order flowers and source all the décor items. Other service providers do not have such a huge expense when collaborating on a styled shoot, and even if they do, all of them can re-use or re-sell their products, or create something at the fraction of the florist’s bill. We are very happy to sponsor our time, labour and expertise if you want us to collaborate on your shoot, and will happily supply you with the flowers at cost price, if we feel that your vision for the shoot is in line with our brand. Please email me with your ideas, for us to send you a quote.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR BRIDES-TO-BE?

1. Choose your floral designer carefully. Browse their previous work and about . Make sure they have a consistent experience and that will be able to create following your vision.

2. Take in mind that a professional floral designer will quote what is needed to make a fair living and do a brilliant job. So if you find someone willing to undercut other quotes dramatically we would suggest you be very careful. Flowers have a cost and are also perishable. In floral markets there are old flowers very close to death that are sold at very low prices, or flowers that are not perfect second or third choise and won’t get open. You also risk to have low quality services, low quality or dirty items, non professional helpers putting at risk all your wedding. Not said to be beastly, but we have heard too many horror stories of bouquets having to be fixed the morning of the wedding. You don’t expect your dress to fall apart, you don’t want the flowers falling apart either.

2. Create a pin board of your floral likes and use it as a guideline. Don’t get hung up on specific flowers or colours, as some flowers seen on international blogs are not available commercially in Europe and Italy. Production of flowers is also not guaranteed: for example, lots of rain in some parts of the country can have significant effects on quality, availability and price of preferred flowers.

3. Trust your floral designer and allow them creative freedom within your guidelines. Trying to micro manage every aspect of the creative process only results in dull and unimaginative arrangements with little room for fresh, out of the box ideas.

4. If you’re on a tight budget, omit flowers in places where guests will spend minimal time. Flowers hanging from pews, large arrangements for the ceremony, pre-drinks, bathrooms, boutonnières and corsages can be allayed to save money. Rather spend money on your reception tables, where guests spend most of their time and have time to take in the beauty.